The stunning photography in and around the Grand Canyon is the real star of this taut crime drama directed by Don Siegel. Guffey’s aerial swoops (courtesy of Skymasters International) and widescreen vistas add an extra dimension to the familiar greed-driven murder plot.

Wilde is a deputy sheriff looking to atone for his past mistakes in the hunt for a killer driven by a desire to unearth un-mined gold deposits in a ghost mining town. As the murder count rises and Wilde gets close to the wealthy miner’s daughter (Shaw) we are taken on a twisting journey toward an excellent fight finale on a transport bucket hanging from a cable stretched across the Canyon.

The acting is solid at best with Buchanan the most impressive as the aging sheriff. Siegel keeps the plot moving and the editing is tight. But those stunning image of “Filmed at one of the Wonders of the World: The Grand Canyon”, as the titles proudly announce, are what lift this neat thriller above the routine.

Peter Capaldi’s debut as the ever-popular Time Lord has been hotly anticipated since it was announced he would be taking over the role a year ago. Casting an older actor (Capaldi is 56) after the extremely popular Matt Smith, who was half Capaldi’s age was a bold move by Moffat, who has signalled a desire to introduce more gravity into the part and into the plots.

Deep Breath only hints at these changes, being a lively adventure with large doses of Moffat’s trademark humorous dialogue and manic energy interspersed with occasional moments of atmosphere and tension. There are nods to the classic series in a dinosaur roaming London (Invasion of the Dinosaurs) and residents of Victorian London being exploited for their flesh (The Talons of Weng-Chiang). Moffat also looks to his own earlier work – the clockwork men are taken from The Girl in the Fireplace and the Doctor’s instruction “don’t breathe” top avoid detection by the clockwork men is reminiscent of “don’t blink” from Blink.

The Vastra-Jenny-Strax trio is starting to wear a bit thin, however, recycling much of the banter from earlier appearances. It may have been felt that there was a need to surround the new Doctor with familiar elements in order to gain acceptance. This is nothing new – even Tom Baker had to go through a debut story obviously styled around his predecessor before very quickly finding his own feet one story later. It is to be hoped Moffat has remained true to his word in creating a more challenging and thoughtful Doctor. There is certainly a hint here that once Capaldi settles into the role we will have a strong Doctor and a more serious tone. The series needs to restore a sense of tension and jeopardy, so it was refreshing to see the seemingly infinitely adaptable sonic screwdriver used less frequently.

A good, but not great, start to a new era. Next week it’s Into the Dalek.

To tie in with the reunion of the 1971-5 five-man line-up of Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford for a BBC documentary “Genesis: Together and Apart” due to be broadcast in October, the band have also announced the release of a new 3-CD compilation. The compilation will include tracks from across the band’s career including solo efforts from the five members.

The tracks will be:

Disc: 1
1. The Knife
2. The Musical Box
3. Supper’s Ready
4. The Cinema Show
5. I Know What I Like
6. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
7. Back In N.Y.C.
8. The Carpet Crawlers
9. Ace Of Wands – Steve Hackett

Whilst the new logo doesn’t exactly compete with the classics, it sort of makes sense in the context of this release, by breaking the band’s name into its component parts.

I am now hoping this encourages the five-piece to reunite one more time on stage. Having seen the reunion of the Banks-Collins-Rutherford line-up at Old Trafford, Manchester in 2007, it suggested the band still had what it takes. With Collins since being hit by spinal problems restricting his drumming and Gabriel offering no hint that he is willing to commit this may be unlikely, but my fingers are crossed.

Adapted from Richard Starks’ 1963 novel this is the tale of a gangster (Marvin) seeking revenge on his partner (Vernon) who double-crossed him, stole his wife (Acker) and left him for dead at a money drop at Alcatraz. In his search Marvin finds his wife dead from an overdose and subsequently blows holes in the middle of organised crime with the help of his wife’s sister (Dickinson), who has also hooked up with Vernon.

Shot on location in San Francisco and Los Angeles – being the first to make use of the then recently closed Alcatraz prison – the story is a simple take on an oft-told story. But what elevates the film is Boorman’s vision – dialling up the psychological impacts on Marvin’s character working with editor Berman in introducing strobe-like flashback techniques to show the scars on Marvin’s psyche. A little disorienting and distracting at first, the cutting style increases in effectiveness as the film progresses and it is used more sparsely. Marvin is cold and clinical in his portrayal of a man driven by nothing more than the need for retribution, showing what a good actor he was when not being asked to ham up his own image. He is given strong support by Vernon, Dickinson and O’Connor. An excellent example of the experimental film making in the sixties it has grown in reputation over the years along with Boorman’s cult status as a director.

A further adaptation of Stark’s novel was produced in 1999 as PAYBACK starring Mel Gibson.

Roger Corman produced this low-rent BONNIE AND CLYDE clone in which the attempts at comedy seem ham-fisted and ill-conceived when played alongside some often violent and bloody action.

Angie Dickinson stars as Wilma McClatchie who along with her teenage daughters targets 1932 small town Texas with her criminal schemes and daring robberies. Along the way she is aided by a couple of misfits in Skerritt and Shatner and remains one step ahead of the law until the film’s conclusion.

Carver doers conjure a nice sense of period and Dickinson, as ever, is capable in the lead role. The film was shot quickly (in 20 days) and the rushed nature of the production is evident on screen. But where the film mainly falls down is in its shifting tone between comedy and drama. These troubles stem from Norton and Doel’s script, which lacks focus and is episodic, merely shuffling from one set-piece to the next mixing violence and slapstick without enriching the characters or giving us anyone to root for. Alongside the problems of plot and characterisation, Dickinson’s exploitation of her seemingly young daughters (Sennett and Lee) feels a little ill-judged by today’s standards. Corman also exploits the virtues of Dickinson, Sennett and Lee as they seduce their various male accomplices in order to manipulate their involvement in their criminal activities.

Whilst the film has attracted a somewhat dubious cult status, this is primarily due to the exploitative content rather than artistic merit. A sequel, BIG BAD MAMA II, followed in 1987.

Robert Mitchum made his TV debut in this old-fashioned mystery. Hale’s movie echoes the noir films of the 1940s and 1950s without ever conjuring the atmosphere to match, despite Mitchum’s world-weary voiceover and Broughton’s retro music score.

Mitchum is a washed-out ex-cop hired by a rich Nevada casino owner (Ferrer) to find his wife (Shirriff) who went missing at the same time as the casino was shut down by the authorities. Along the way Mitchum also meets up with Dickinson, an ex-hooker turned good, who takes a shine to him and helps him out. When Shirriff falls from a balcony, after she has been traced to San Francisco, Mitchum suspects foul play whilst the police suspect Mitchum.

The plot unfolds in familiar fashion from here with a small cast in which both Ferrer and Pérez standout. Whilst Hale fails to inject any real rhythm to the story and it at times feels laboured, both Mitchum and Dickinson hold our interest by turning in performances which play heavily on their iconic status. Culver’s screenplay adaptation could have been tighter and the limitations of TV budget scaled back the production.

Whilst this fails to hold a candle to genre classics it remains an entertaining enough mystery on its own terms and is worth exploring by genre fans.

The film that provided the light to the touch paper on the career of its writer and director, John Carpenter (who also handled the music score and editing duties). Carpenter had enjoyed some cult success with his comic sci-fi debut DARK STAR in 1974, but it was this film and its follow-up HALLOWEEN (1978) that cemented the deal.

Much has been said of the movies two major influences. The law under siege coming from Howard Hawks’ RIO BRAVO (1959) and the dialogue-free portrayal of the LA gangs as single-minded and almost zombie-like a nod toward NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Carpenter’s use of a pseudonym for his editor credit and Zimmer’s character name acknowledged the former.

The result is an economical and highly entertaining B-movie, which moves at a fair clip. Whilst the cast lacks a certain star wattage, Carpenter gives the actors some memorable dialogue – most notably to Joston, whose running gag “Got a smoke” is another nod to Hawks and westerns in general. Carpenter adds to the tension with his electronic score, which through its simplicity of structure and phrasing heightens the atmosphere. The ice cream van scene is still talked about today for its shock value and is a prime example of how the director could keep an audience on its toes in the early films of his career. The first gun assault on the closed down precinct house was all the more effective for the gang’s use of silencers to avoid their assault being reported from the nearby neighbourhood. The pinging ricochet of bullets and the flutter of papers conveying the sense of danger in a different and more effective way.

Initially dismissed in the US, the film gained its reputation in Europe the year following its release. This led to a re-appraisal by American critics and a re-release when Carpenter’s reputation was sealed with HALLOWEEN. The film itself became the subject of a less effective remake in 2005 and Carpenter would re-work the siege theme in his remake of THE THING (1980) and the later GHOSTS OF MARS (2001).

LAIDLAWby WILLIAM McILVANNEY (1977, Hodder & Stroughton / Cannongate Books Ltd., Paperback, 280pp) ∗∗∗∗∗ Blurb: Meet Jack Laidlaw, the original damaged detective. When a young woman is found brutally murdered on Glasgow Green, only Laidlaw stands a chance of finding her murderer from among the hard men, gangland villains and self-made moneymen who lurk in the city’s shadows.

William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw trilogy has found its way back into print courtesy of Cannongate. This is the first and introduces us to DI Jack Laidlaw, who is a maverick detective with more depth and heart than most. He is by no means perfect and has a troubled marriage, prolonged due to the deep love he has for his children. He is also involved in an affair with a hotel receptionist. He also has to blood in a new partner in DC Brian Harkness, whilst being involved in a feus with his colleague DI Milligan.

McIlvanney’s tale is simple, efficient, pacy and populated with characters of depth. He liberally uses Glaswegian slang in the dialogue, which adds a sense of place – although for non-Glaswegians, it can take some translating. The dialogue is also laced with a sardonic humour that nods to the noir classics of the past. As the various factions race-against-time to find the troubled murderer, Laidlaw finds time to lay down his heavy philosophies on Harkness and through this he earns a grudging respect.

This taut, well-written crime novel was highly influential on other Scottish crime and mystery writers such as Ian Rankin, Gordon Ferris and Craig Russell, whose works echo McIlvanney’s vision of the Scottish underworld. Highly recommended.

Delightful version of Raymond Chandler’s classic 1940 novel, previously filmed as THE FALCON TAKES OVER (1942) and MURDER MY SWEET (1945). Mitchum is a perfect world-weary Marlowe, despite his age and Richards creates an authentic translation of the author’s prose.

Marlowe is hired by oversized ex-con Moose Malloy (O’Halloran) to trace the girl he has not seen for seven years. What follows is a twisting tale of deceit, spiced with witty dialogue and colourful characters. The period detail is also excellent with the dark photography (by Alonzo who also worked on the previous year’s genre classic Chinatown) and mournful music score adding considerably to the mood.

In a strong supporting cast, Miles (nominated for a supporting actress Academy Award) scores heavily as a booze-soaked ex-dancer and Ireland is imposing as the seemingly only honest cop, Nulty. Also impressive is Murtagh as the butch madam of a brothel who also gets the better of Marlowe physically. Some of the other performances are more variable – former boxer O’Halloran is physically imposing as Moose, but delivers his lines with a stiffness that matches his build. Rampling manages to create some sexual tension, but lacks the finesse for this type of role of a Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake.

Richards’ pacing of the story is well-judged and his work on this meticulously designed film is supported by editors Thompson and Cox in retaining a sense of clarity and flow through the complex plot twists.

The film’s success led to Mitchum playing Marlowe again in the less successful remake of THE BIG SLEEP in 1978, which bizarrely switched location from 1940s LA to 1970s London.

Shaft is hired by Harlem crime lord, Bumpy Jonas, to locate and rescue his kidnapped daughter. Bumpy tells Shaft he suspects she has been abducted by black revolutionaries, led by Ben Buford, when really she has been snatched by the Mafia as part of a turf war. When Shaft realises he has been set-up by Bumpy to enlist Buford and his men he ups his price before linking up with Buford to plan a rescue.

It is easy today to underestimate the impact of SHAFT today when black action heroes are commonplace, but in 1971 Parks’ film was a revelation. From the opening shots of Roundtree’s Shaft strutting his way through Midtown Manhattan to the closing sequence of the daring rescue the film oozes style. With Isaac Hayes’ funky theme playing over the credits a movie icon was born.

The bleak New York winter of 1970/1 helped provide a gritty urban backdrop to Parks’ realisation of Ernest Tidyman’s novel. In his first starring role Roundtree has such an incredible charisma he instantly makes the role his own brilliantly sparring with the police and gangsters alike. Moses Gunn is also commanding as Bumpy Jonas (renamed from Knocks Persons in the novel as a nod to real life Harlem gangster of the ‘20s and ‘30s Bumpy Johnson). Charles Cioffi is the epitome of world-weariness in his portrayal of Lt. Vic Androzzi, whilst Ben Buford is portrayed by Christopher St. John, but is less imposing than the more intellectual version seen in the book.

The film has a slow pace by today’s frenetic standards, but is punctuated by occasional bursts of violent action. Parks’ lack of experience comes through with the aforementioned pacing problems. The editing could also be tighter in certain scenes – although the rescue finale is well-judged. However, his visual eye is evident throughout in the way he captures New York in social decay. The bare tenements and littered streets come sharply into focus against the harsh winter backdrop.

The film’s greatest achievement, though, was the legacy it created, enabling new talent to thrive in a Hollywood that hitherto had been a largely white domain.

Two sequels – SHAFT’S BIG SCORE! (1972) and SHAFT IN AFRICA (1973) and a series of seven TV-movies (1973-4) followed. John Singleton attempted to re-launch the franchise in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson as Shaft’s nephew (also named John Shaft) and Roundtree reprising his role in little more than a cameo appearance.